Difference Between Living and Non-Living Things (with Comparison Chart)

Everything that surrounds us is either living or non-living and the only characteristic that bifurcates the two is life. All living things like plants, animals, insects, birds, microorganisms, etc. have one feature in common and that’s life. So, living things implies all those creatures of nature, that has life.

On the other hand, non-living things such as bottle, pen, chair, door, computer, mobiles, etc. are the one’s who are not alive. Living things are composed of units called cells, which functions in something that possesses life. On the other hand, non-living things are not made up of cells. In this article excerpt we are going to shed light on the major differences between living and non-living things, have a look.

Content: Living Things Vs Non-Living Things

Comparison Chart
Definition
Key Differences
Conclusion

Comparison Chart

Basis for Comparison	Living Things	Non-living Things
Meaning	Living things are the creatures that are alive and compose of tiny particles, i.e. cells.	Non-living things refers to those objects or items, that do not exhibit any sign of life.
Example
Organization	Highly organized	No such organization
Conciousness	They sense things and react to external stimulus.	Non-living things do not sense things.
Homeostasis	Maintain a stable internal environment to make cells function.	Do not maintain a stable internal environment.
Metabolism	Reaction like anabolism and catabolism occurs.	No metabolic changes occurs in non-living things.
Growth	All living things undergo a regulated growth.	Non-living things do not grow.
Evolution	Living things go through evolution.	Non-living things do not undergo evolution.
Survival	Depends on food, water and air for survival.	Does not depend on anything for survival.
Life-span	Have a certain life span, after which they die.	There is no such thing like life span.

Definition of Living Things

Living things are the organism, that is alive. They are made up of a small unit of the structure known as cells, which form tissues. Different tissues, in turn, combine to form organs and when all these organs function together as an integrated unit, called as an organ system, which functions in something that has a life. They are human beings, plants, insects, birds, animals, fungi, bacteria, algae, protozoa, etc. There are some traits which are common in all living things, which are:

Move on their own.
Grow and develop, with time.
Respire to release energy.
Require nutrition
Excrete to eliminate waste.
Reproduce to give birth to the new organism.
Respond to the external environment.
Adapt themselves to the changing conditions.

Definition of Non-Living Things

Non-living things refer to those things, which are not alive, i.e. the characteristic of life is absent, in them. They do not show any trait of life, such as Reproduction, growth and development, respiration, metabolism, adaptation, responsiveness, movement, etc. They are created or produced from non-living materials, such as wood, plastic, iron, metals, leather, cotton, etc.

Key Differences Between Living and Non-Living Things

The significant differences between living and non-living things are discussed in the points given below:

The organisms that are alive and compose of tiny particles, i.e. cells are known as living things. The things, which are once alive or are never alive are known as non-living things.
Responsiveness is a trait in living things, through which they sense things and react to external stimulus. As against this, non-living things are insensitive to an external stimulus.
Processes like anabolism and catabolism occur, in living things only and no such reaction take place in non-living things.
Growth is a basic trait of all living things, i.e. the living organism go through a regulated growth, due to the presence of cells in the body. Conversely, non-living things do not grow.
Living things control their internal environment, so as to maintain the minimum conditions required for the cell to function. On the other side, non-living things do not have to control the same.
Living things are subject to evolution, i.e. the genetic makeup of the living organism change over time, so as to allow them to survive and reproduce, in the environment easily. Non-living things do not experience evolution.
Living things are very well organised in the sense that cells form tissues and organs are made up of various tissues, these organs when to work together as a system, it is called as the organ system. In contrast, non-living things have no organisation.
Food, water, and air are basic needs of living things, i.e. they cannot survive without it. Unlike, non-living things have no such requirement.
All living organism have a lifespan, and after which they die. On the contrary, non-living things do not have life, and so they can be recycled or reused even after they became obsolete.

Conclusion

In our day to day life, we encounter many things which may or may not have a life. Living things can move from one place to another, on their own, except plants. Conversely, non-living things are mobile, but they require someone to make it move. In living organisms, one can see differentiation in different stages of development, while no such thing takes place in non-living things.